EMERGENCY UPDATE Cameroonian refugee situation, Nigeria 1 6 - 31 October 2018 135 permanent shelters for 1,636 Cameroonian refugees 90 refugees from Adagom and refugees have been completed and 252 members of the host Anyake settlements completed in Adagom settlement (Cross community received free vocational training on River state). health care services in Anyake vegetable farming and small settlement (Benue state). plots of land were allocated to set up a small vegetable production. K EY INDICATORS 29,078 Cameroonian refugees registered with Level 1 and Level 2 registration [As of 30th October 2018] 2,999 Cameroonian refugees registered in Anyake settlement, Benue State [as of 31st October 2018] 4,997 Cameroonian refugees registered in Adagom settlement, st Eva Caroline (right), and her family arrived at the end of October Cross River State [as of 31 October 2018] 2018 in Amana, Obanliku LGA, Cross River state. They initially fled to another village within Cameroon but the conflict reached them there so they crossed into Nigeria. © UNHCR/C. Cavalcanti Operational Context ■ Cameroonian refugees continued to arrive in Nigeria albeit in limited numbers through unofficial entry points mainly on foot, motorcycles and canoes as official borders remained closed. Some 340 new arrivals were verified by UNHCR in the border localities of Obanliku, Ikom, Etung and Boki Local Government Areas (Cross River state) during the reporting period. Most new arrivals reported an increase in the attacks to villages to drive out combatants, including in villages not reached by the conflict before, where many Cameroonians had moved in search of safety and they are now pushed to cross into Nigeria. ■ During the reporting period, some host community members repetitively blocked the access to Anyake refugee settlement (Kwande Local Government Area, Benue state) forcing UNHCR and partners to suspend all activities from 25th October. The host community members blocked access to the settlement over their demands concerning job opportunities and building of infrastructures in Anyake. www.unhcr.org 1 Cameroonian refugee situation, Nigeria / 16 – 31 October 2018 Update On Achievements ■ Registration – UNHCR and the National Commission for Refugees Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) continued verification and registration of refugees with biometrics (including new arrivals) in Adagom settlement and Utanga (Ogoja and Obanliku Local Government Areas, Cross River state). ■ As of 30th October 2018, 10,987 refugees were verified, including 6,122 newly registered (including new-born babies, new arrivals and people living in remote locations not attended during Level 1 registration) and 8,499 enrolled in BIMS. ■ Relocation – During the reporting period, 348 spontaneous arrivals were recorded in Adagom settlement (Ogoja Local Government Area, Cross River state), bringing the population of the settlement up to 4,997 registered individuals as of 31st October 2018. Moreover, 131 individuals arrived spontaneously to Anyake settlement (Kwande Local Government Area, Benue state) as of 22nd October 2018. ■ Livelihood - 90 refugees from Adagom and Anyake settlements completed vocational training on vegetable farming and small plots of land were allocated to set up a small vegetable production. Switch Academy trained the refugees with the support of UNHCR partner Mediatrix. The partner is currently advocating with host community leaders for allocation of additional farming land to scale up this activity. ■ Shelter - Construction of permanent shelter by Cameroonian refugees continued in Adagom settlement (Cross River state). During the reporting period, 185 refugee households received shelter kit materials (including bricks, sand, gravel and cement) to start construction of their permanent shelter, and material was distributed to 51 refugee households to finalize their permanent shelter (roofing phase). So far, 135 permanent shelters were completed in the site with support from UNHCR and its partner Rhema Care. Moreover, in Anyake settlement (Benue state), 148 shelters are completed, but the construction of new ones has been suspended for security reasons. The project, funded by EU Humanitarian Aid, will support the construction of permanent shelters for 4,000 Cameroonian refugees. ■ Healthcare – Between 15th and 17th October 2018, local NGO Binta Free Medical Outreach Africa (BFMOA) carried out three days of free medical consultations and treatments for refugees and host community in Anyake settlement (Benue state). A total of 1,636 refugees and 252 members of the host community received free medical care. The team also conducted an awareness raising session on personal hygiene and health. Most prevalent diseases recorded were malaria, diarrhoea, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and hypertension. ■ 376 individuals from refugee and host community received free health care services in Adagom Health Post supported by Nigerian Red Cross in collaboration with United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). ■ Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) – UNHCR partner Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) installed a new water pump in Anyake settlement (Benue state) to ensure adequate water supply to refugees on the site. Moreover, one latrine was set up for refugees with specific needs. www.unhcr.org 2 Cameroonian refugee situation, Nigeria / 16 – 31 October 2018 Critical needs and priorities ■ New arrivals – According to protection monitoring reports, newly arrived refugees in the border localities of Ikom, Boki, Obanliku and Etung Local Government Areas (Cross River state) live in precarious conditions and are in dire need of food and non-food items. In Amana 1 (Obanliku Local Government Area), the abandoned buildings where refugees have found shelter are in a very bad state and are potentially dangerous. Working in partnership ■ Together with the Nigerian Government, through the National Commission for Refugees (NCFRMI), and State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), UNHCR ensures international protection and delivery of multi-sectoral assistance to the Cameroonian refugees and has established a monthly coordination meeting in Calabar to foster closer collaboration with other UN agencies and humanitarian actors. The following partners implement specific sector activities in this situation: Catholic Caritas Foundation Nigeria (CCFN); Catholic Diocese of Makurdi – Foundation for Justice Development and Peace (FJDP); MEDATRIX Development Foundation; Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) and Rhema Care Integrated Development Centre. Other partners also deliver services to the Cameroonian refugees with their own resources such as ADRA, ICRC, MSF, Save the Children and WHO. www.unhcr.org 3 Cameroonian refugee situation, Nigeria / 16 – 31 October 2018 CONTACTS Elizabeth Mpimbaza, Snr External Relation Officer, BO Abuja - Nigeria, [email protected], Cell +234 809 016 143 8 Chiara Cavalcanti, Reporting Officer, SO Calabar – Nigeria, [email protected], Cell + 234 908 748 663 5 LINKS UNHCR Operational Portal : Nigeria Country Page - UNHCR Nigeria website – UNHCR Nigeria on Global Focus – UNHCR Nigeria Facebook page – UNHCR Nigeria Twitter account – Web Story: Cameroonian refugees flee clashes and find safety in Nigeria. www.unhcr.org 4 .